Entertainment · Gaming · 36 mins ago
Former id Software developers launch employee-owned studio Hidden Horses
About 20 former id Software developers have formed Hidden Horses, a new game studio.
They left id Software after Microsoft cut jobs at the studio in July 2026.
Hidden Horses says it is owned and democratically governed by its developers, who share in the company’s success.
The team wants to make classic-style shooters and says it aims to avoid investor pressure and rapid growth.
Its first planned game, Danger Pay, is a single-player arena shooter inspired by the arcade game Smash TV and the film The Running Man.
The game imagines players taking part in a televised, violent game show.
The studio plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign to support development, and it has yet to share release details or gameplay footage.
About 20 former id Software developers have formed Hidden Horses, an employee-owned game studio.
The studio is developing Danger Pay, a single-player shooter inspired by Smash TV and The Running Man.
Hidden Horses says its members own shares and elect leaders, with a focus on shared decision-making.
The founders say they want to make classic, gameplay-focused shooters and avoid investor pressure.
The studio plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign to support Danger Pay.
- Who
- About 20 former id Software developers, including co-founders Dustin Land and Andrew Willis, formed Hidden Horses.
- What
- They launched an employee-owned studio and are developing Danger Pay, a single-player shooter.
- When
- The studio was announced on November 11, 2026.
- Where
- Hidden Horses is a game studio; its location is not stated.
- Why
- The founders say they want to keep their team together and make classic shooters while sharing ownership and decision-making.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Microsoft laid off developers at id Software as part of a wider round of Xbox job cuts.
About 20 former id Software developers announced the formation of Hidden Horses.
Hidden Horses said it plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for Danger Pay.
- Founding team
- Approximately 20 former id Software developers
- Studio
- Hidden Horses
- First planned game
- Danger Pay, a single-player arena shooter
- Ownership
- Employee-owned, with members holding shares
- Influences
- Smash TV and The Running Man
3 sources
Laid-off Id Software devs form employee-owned studio Hidden Horses
Former id Software developers form their own employee-owned shooter studio in the wake of Microsoft's mass layoffs
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What people are saying
Hidden Horses is an opportunity to keep that team together, build something of our own, and create the kind of old school shooters that we think people want more of.
We're creating a studio where the developers share in its success and have a commitment to it beyond just another job.
Financially, this means we are not subject to investor demands and the preservation of the company and the jobs it sustains is paramount over needless growth and our 'capital' doesn't compete for returns with other potential investments.